It all started with a photo on Pinterest of Zion National Park. It morphed into an epic seventeen day road trip that would cross four states, make eight stops, travel three thousand mile road trip. We were nervous about visiting the desert in the summer, so we went early in the summer. We were excited to see so many national parks and places we had been visiting on Pinterest for years; Monument Valley, Four Corners, Mesa Verde, Zion, The Grand Canyon. I was nervous because it was a lot of moving, a lot of exploring, and even though it did not seem like it, a lot of editing.
Betty and Roxie, as you may recall, went on another grand adventure together to Wyoming in 2017. Our friends the Rockwood’s decided to decline this adventure because they were saving up days for a 2019 adventure east to Gettysburg. Roxie’s owners invited their extended family to join us so Papa Gary signed up to be our third camper on the Desert Vacation.
We decided to meet at the Paxico Rest Stop just west of Topeka at Mile Marker 336 on I-70 as we were all coming from different places. Together we continued traveling west. We had no reservation for this first day, but landing where we could. We wanted to push ourselves to get a full six hours in so we could make the driving on Day 2 as comfortable as possible.
We ended up making it six and half hours the first day and landed in Seibert, Colorado, approximately 50 miles west of the Kansas/Colorado border. We checked into Shady Grove campground.
Meeghan and I had researched every campground from Wakeeney Kansas to Colorado Springs as part of preparation for this trip. We had “hoped” to reach Shady Grove because it had a wonderful pool and thought it would be a treat to the kids after a long first day of traveling. Well, sadly the lady who checked us in told us there was no pool at Shady Grove. Meeghan and I jumped on our phones and realized we made an error in planning: the Shady Grove Campground in Seibert Colorado does not have a pool but Sandy Grove Campground in Pennsylvania has a pool (and a nice website that we apparently looked at instead of the one in Colorado)!. So lesson learned, when researching on the internet make sure you are in the correct state.
We secured three camping spots for the night and settled in. We pre-planned for a quick dinner of BLT sandwiches and made ahead side salads then we set out walking the small town of Seibert. As we walked around town, we speculated about living in such a small out-of-the-way place. We found a city park where the kids could burn some pent up energy. Meeghan’s youngest decided to jump off the slide and literally caught himself by the throat and gave himself a clothes-line injury. Poor little man spent the rest of the vacation with a massive friction mark on his neck!
Shady Acres had a variety of tenants. Some bikers on their way west tent camping, a girl camper on an adventure, and a few others stopping for the night. It was comfortable and quiet.
The next morning we left Shady Grove and Seibert to head towards Colorado Springs. Our goal for Day 2 was to reach Base Camp Family Campground in Alamosa, Colorado. Before we reached Alamosa, we stopped for a road side lunch just past Colorado Springs and met up with Meeghan’s sister, her husband, and their baby. They joined us for part of our Colorado visit.
Our newly expanded group continued south on I-25 turning west once again on Highway 160. The drive from Walsenburg to Alamosa was scenic and wonderful. We checked into Base Camp late in the afternoon ready for some adventure and exploring…..
Down and Dirty Details: Dates of Stay: August 2 – 6, 2018 Lakeside Campground Site Number 131 We traveled with 6 families and a total of 24 people.
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Nebraska brings all of the amenities of a private resort to a state park. Campers at Mahoney State Park can expect to find spacious sites, beautiful scenery, a low price point as well as hiking, biking, mini golfing, a driving range, horse back riding, paddle boating, arcade, zip lining, organized activities, and even a water park all at discounted prices! Eugene T. Mahoney State Park is what Nebraska calls an Adventure Park and if adventure is what you seek, you sure do not have to look hard to find it. I am sure it may come as no surprise to hear that Mahoney State Park was our favorite campground of 2017.
Our visit to Mahoney started a year prior to our arrival. Meeghan is originally from Nebraska and she told us about this state park thirty minutes west of Omaha. The park books a year in advance and from our experience it books quickly which made booking seven sites together challenging.
We traveled to Mahoney State Park on a Thursday to enjoy a long weekend before school started for our children and grandchildren. The drive to Mahoney was short, less than four hours and that included some unfavorable road conditions. We arrived before the 4:00 p.m. check-in so we decided to spend our time at the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum (also known as SAC), which is right outside the entrance to Mahoney State Park.
The SAC Museum provides ample park for RV’s, which allowed us to have a parking lot picnic before we entered the museum to see the collection of military airplanes and spacecrafts. If you are a history or military buff you will love their collection of planes and helicopters from World War II, Vietnam, Korea, the 70’s, and the 80’s. And, if you are really lucky, you will encounter a veteran visiting the SAC on the same day as you and you can wander the exhibits listening as the memories come back and the reminiscing flows freely.
Camping fees at Mahoney are $25 a night for electric sites and $30 a night for premium electric. In addition to the camping fees guest have to purchase a daily parking fee which cost $8 a day for nonresidents. There are two campgrounds and a total of 149 camping sites at Mahoney. Most sites are 30 amp but we did find several 50 amp sites. There are even a few full hook-up sites but they are very limited and half are reserve-able. In addition to a large number of camping sites, this park has other types of lodging available; like a lodge, cabins, and even houses for rent. So, if you are traveling with non-campers they can be close by and enjoy the fun as well.
Family Aquatic Center
Open daily from noon to 5:00 p.m. and then from 6:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m. Memorial Day to Labor Day, this is honestly one of the biggest draws to Mahoney State Park. The cost to enter the Aquatic Center is $10 per adult and $8 per child, children under 2 years old are free. The water park has a splash area with buckets of water falling over you, a wave pool, slides, and a giant swimming pool with diving boards. Outside food and drink are not allowed in the Aquatic Center but hungry swimmers will find a full service snack area or they are allowed to leave and return as many times as they would like for the entire day.
We visited the Aquatic Center on Friday, hoping to beat the weekend traffic, and we arrived right at the opening. We easily found enough chairs for all of us and the kids did not stop moving until we drug them out of there before the dinner time closure. The wave pool was a mass of people and the wave patterns changed every time the bell rang. The lines to the slides went by quickly and we all had a good time racing each other down the slides. The splash area was a favorite part of the youngest members of our group but even the big kids enjoyed a big water dump on the head.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Thirty miles due east of Mahoney State Park is Omaha’s highly acclaimed Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, which we decided to visit on Saturday of our trip. We all upgraded our entrance fees to the zoo so we could take advantage of the train and Skyfari. We spent the day wondering from habitat to habitat. We enjoyed the desert dome, the Kingdom of the Nights, the Jungle, the Gorilla Valley, and the Butterfly Pavilion. But my absolute favorite part of the Henry Doorly Zoo remains the Scott Aquarium and all of those jellyfish. I could spend hours watching them. During our visit, we were able to visit the traveling Stingray Beach. Not only did we enjoy touching stingrays but we loved having the opportunity to feed them.
By the end of the day, we walked our feet off and left tired and happy. We returned to the campground exhausted.
Ice Cream at Owen Marina
Owen Marina was a nice easy walk from our campground. The marina has a convenience store, an ice cream parlor, fast food service, paddle boat rental, and an arts and crafts room, The crafts room has a variety of activites from leathercrafts, bird houses, ceramics, and even woodworking. Unfortunately, we visited late in the day and there were no organized activities. But no worry, ice cream was on the brain and there was no shortage of cones, sundae’s or floats. Sadly, there were no non-dairy options for those of us who are lactose intolerant.
Walter Scott Jr Observation Tower
This tower is open year round and has no extra cost to enjoy it. We rode our bicycles from Lakeside Campground to the observation tower. Bike riding allowed us to really see the entire park. We biked past the cabins, the nice homes, the aquatic center, the tennis courts, the ropes course, as well as the family children’s activity center, the stables and disc golf course. It was amazing to see everything this park has to offer.
As far as the observation tower, it is a 70 foot tower on the bluffs above the Platte River. The view is pretty; trees, a railroad, a river, crops.
Trail Riding
Our Sunday planned activity was to trail ride. Reservations are made on a first come first serve basis at the Park Administration building. When we arrived (fifteen minutes before the office opened) there was already a line forming, so we ended up with afternoon rides vs morning rides. Trail Rides cost $18 per person for an hour ride. Riding horses is one of those things that sounds really fun but the reality is I have not been on a horse since I was a child. My last memory of riding a horse is my six year old self freaking out as soon as the horse started galloping. I had kinda forgotten that until I was placed on top of a huge, fourteen hand horse named Cash.
Trail riding should be smooth, the horses are trained to walk the trail, follow a specific horse, and respond to basic commands. That was all well, until Cash decided to do some fancy footwork and we found ourselves slipping. I am not sure from what hidden skill drawer I was able to pull out the skills needed to keep this giant horse under control. Technically there is no photographs allowed on the trail ride, so the staff allowed us to linger afterwards, on the horses and with the horses, to take as many photos as we wanted. Again, all was fun until Cash decided to get upset with another horse for drinking our of his water trough. With me still on his back, he reared up on his back legs. Man, I am just not sure horses are my thing. As soon as all four of his hooves hit the ground, I tapped out.
If trail riding is not your thing, or if you are too young to ride a big horse, Mahoney also has pony rides for $7 per child.
18 Hole Mini Golfing
After dinner Sunday night at a local restaurant, we decided to try and squeeze in a round of 18 hole mini golfing. We arrived at the rental office five minutes before closing but the staff did not care how long we played as long as we left the clubs outside the front door when we were done. We broke into family groups and had a blast deciding who in the family was the best mini golfer. These simple, easy moments are what make a family get away perfect! Mini Golfing was a fun way to close out our time at Mahoney State Park.
Paddle Boating
Paddle boats can be rented at Owen Marina and paddled around Baright Lake. The boats cost $8 for a half hour or $16 for an hour. This was a fun activity to do in between other activities.
SKUNKS!!!
Now, we are accustomed to sharing our space in a state park with critters. We have become very skilled at picking up any food and locking down the trash bags, like literally, we lock that trash can inside of our truck at nights. Raccoons can no longer get over on us! But, Mahoney threw us with a loop when it comes to critters; skunks. From our very first night to the last morning we learned to pay extra special attention to the black and white critters that roamed the campground loop. Skunks are sorta like bears. I can appreciate one from a far but no way do I want to see one close and I absolutely do not want to scare one.
Every evening around dusk we could see the critters lurking around the campers, then the vehicles and then all over the campground loop. Taking the dog out to do his business became an ordeal that involved headlamps and flashlights.
The Community Around Eugene T Mahoney State Park
A few short miles east of Mahoney is Nebraska Crossing Outlets, which is a great place for shopping, With stores like Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Coach, Bose, Oakley, Nike, Le Creuset, North Face, and Steve Madden there is a store for everyone. I was excited to find a perfect pair of Chaco’s while shopping at the Crossing.
Across the street from the entrance of state park is the Wildlife Safari Park, a four mile drive through wildlife experience. We did not drive through Wildlife Safari Park, but others in our group did and they loved it. So, if you are seeking an animal experience but do not wish to visit Henry Doorly Zoo, this wildlife safari might be ehat you are looking for.
Another great way to spend some time outside the state park is by visiting local vineyards. There are three local vineyards near Mahoney. We visited Cellar 426 which is name after the exit off of I-80. We visited Cellar 426 on a Sunday afternoon before trail riding for a wine tasting. I brought home a bottle of their Blue Jay Edelweiss and I have regretted every day that I did not bring home more. Cellar 426 has a lovely deck, which was a beautiful place to pass some time away. Besides the Edelweiss, I also recommend their white sangria. I am pretty sure they put Peach Schnapps in it and it was delish!
Final Reflections
Outside of our family vacation, this was our favorite camping trip of 2018 and I am sure it is easy to see why. There were so many activities and things to do in the park and around the park that we could have easily spent an entire week. It is trips like this, with our friends by our sides, that I love our group camping experiences.
This was the first and only camping trip that my entire family made together. It was so much easier when we all lived in one roof and the only full time jobs we had to coordinate with was mine and Wayne’s. But now that our son is gown and living on his own and not only has a girlfriend but also their full time jobs it just gets harder. As a mom, my heart was full and happy this entire camping trip.
So, if you have hung with me through this entire post, then I say, THANK YOU! I want to say that several of our friends had to make last minute cancellations and could not join us. We missed them and hope to return with them to this location again soon.
A good book. I always put a good book on my list of things to take on a vacation. Love it or hate my kindle app has made that so easy and lightweight! I can carry around a few hundred books and take up no more space or add any extra weight. When we left town to head on our That’s WY vacation, I was in the middle of reading Dear Bob and Sue.
A good book can help you pass the time on a long road trip. A good book can transport you to a new place. A good book can teach you something. I am reading Dear Bob and Sue, a book about a couple who visit all 59 US National Parks, I learned there were national parks in South Dakota that I did not even realize. I stopped reading and started studying my map quickly making plans for a day visit while we were in the Black Hills. All because of a good book.
Needles Highway and Custer State Park
We left Rafter J Bar Ranch and drove Highway 16 to Highway 87. Highway 87 is also known as Needles Highway because of the needle-like granite rocks that pierce the sky. The road is very scenic; besides the granite rocks, you will drive past Sylvan Lake, tall pine trees, and through many tight rock tunnels.
Before driving Needles Highway, I had watched many YouTube videos of tourist driving through the Eye of the Needle Tunnel. I knew it was going to be tight, or look like a squeeze, but I knew our truck would make it. I still can’t believe that Wayne let our son, The Boy drive through the Eye of the Needle. Wayne did walk in front of the truck and “directed” The Boy through the entire tunnel! I think we would have been fine, but Wayne made him pull the rear view mirrors in.
I offered to turn around and do it again so Wayne could also drive through it. No one liked that idea but me. Needles Highway is approximately 14 miles long but we took Highway 87 south to Wind Cave National Park, which is just south of the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park.
Wind Cave National Park
One of the many things the Todd’s and Taylor’s have in common is a fascination with cave exploration. So traveling the thirty miles (that took an hour) from our base was pretty much a no brainer. Our goal upon arrival was just to get a tour booked. There are three tours scheduled on a regular basis; the Garden of Eden Tour, The Natural Entrance Tour, and the Fairgrounds Tour. The price range to go on a tour is between $10-12 per person (children are half the price as adults). We booked ourselves for the Fairgrounds Tour which is the longest most strenuous tour offered.
As we were waiting for our tour I noticed a small warning sign that asked visitors who were wearing shoes that had been in another cave to let a park ranger know. Well, I live in my Keens. They are my hiking shoes of choice and I was pretty sure that I had worn them when we visited Onondaga State Park Memorial Day Weekend 2016. So, I did the “right” thing and told a park ranger. As a result, I was treated to a private decontamination process by a park ranger. I was not put out or offended that my shoes needed decontaimination. Caves are fragile systems and I don’t want to be responsible for injury to that system.
Wind Cave is a very large cave that is mostly dry. It is believed to have been an ocean a very long time ago. In fact we were able to see evidence of seashell on the roof of the cave. Those shell fish died and sank to the bottom of the ocean where they get all crunched up from the waves. They filtered down in between the cracks of the limestone floor of the ocean. When the ocean went away, and the cave filled with water full of sulfuric or sulfurous acid begins creating the cave by eating away the limestone. But what it can’t eat through is the remains of the shellfish. Hence the boxwork.
The kids enjoyed learning about Alvin McDonald who was one of the early explorers of Wind Cave. The Park Ranger’s told us how he would explore the cave by candlelight and mapped out the cave. We learned that the letters on the ceiling of the were actually made by Alvin McDonald but using a secret code.
Unfortunately during our tour one of the guest got injured and it was rushed a bit. We did not mind, we used our Every Child in A Park pass to get in free and we had a lot of exploring to do before in the area in a short time. After our tour and before we left we did go and see the original cave entrance. The wind in the cave is constantly changing due to barometric pressure. It is either blowing out of the cave or being sucked in. Early explorers often lose their hats at the original entrance.
The day of our visit the wind was blowing out. And my goodness it was strong. Standing in front of that opening was the coolest place outside of the cave.
There are other above ground activities at Wind Cave. We did not partake in any of them. After a day of exploring rock formations, we headed back to Rafter J Bar Ranch for an afternoon of swimming and relaxing. We choose not to drive back through Custer State Park and take Iron Mountain Road. Instead we took Highway 385 and arrived back at base in a shorter period of time.
If a person was inclined to, Jewell Cave National Monument is only 33 miles from Wind Cave. Jewell Cave is the third longest cave in the world with almost 200 miles of mapped pathways. Advance tickets can be purchased to both Wind Cave and Jewell Cave.
And don’t forget to complete your Junior Ranger program. Our girls loved getting sworn in by the ranger who lead our tour.
We hope you have a great time in The Black Hills. What are your favorite activities?
Occasionally I make public confessions when they are relevant. I open myself up to public judgement by sharing a personal thought. I share because maybe some of you can relate. Maybe others of you can’t.
My confession today is, Mount Rushmore was never one of those places I cared to visit. If it had been up to me, we would have made a loop and skipped Mount Rushmore during our 2017 That’s WY vacation. But, the joy of group camping is the plans are not made by one person. And thankfully, yes thankfully, Angie really wanted to go to Mount Rushmore so we planned to hit Mount Rushmore on our return home because she really wanted to include it in our itinerary.
During our time in Yellowstone, we listened to other tourist. They like us where on the same vacation route, although not in the same order. Those who had already been to Mount Rushmore highly recommended it. Raved about it. They recommended visiting it in the daytime and the night time. So, we listened.
Before You Go: What You Want to Know:
Admission to Mount Rushmore National Memorial is free. However; you do have to pay for parking. The parking fee in June 2017 was $11 for an annual pass. Meaning you can use the pass as many times as you want in a calendar year.
Mount Rushmore by Night:
Each night park rangers conduct a closing ceremony. It includes a patriotic video, Freedom: America’s Lasting Legacy. Part of the ceremony is to illuminate the memorial and let it shine in the darkness. The final part of the ceremony sure to pull at your heart strings is when all the Veterans in the audience are invited to the stage to participate in the f the flag ceremony each night.
My husband, Wayne, is a Veteran and he participated in the ceremony. Our hearts, and eyes, swelled with pride as we watched him take the stage with so many other Veterans. I don’t know what it is like on other nights but the night we were there, there were at least 50 – 65 Veterans on the stage from every branch of the military.
The entire ceremony lasted an hour. The traffic was not heavy. The parking was not a mess. The outdoor amphitheater was full but not packed. It was a nice evening and I would say we all left humbled and glad we experienced Mount Rushmore by night.
Mount Rushmore by Day:
Each of the three families visited Mount Rushmore by day but we were all three there at different times. Outside The Avenue of Flags, The Masters family caught a presentation of Native American dancers. We all enjoyed finding our home state in The Avenue of Flags and then finding all the places we have visited.
The young members of our group enjoyed the Junior Ranger Program and earning their badges. We all enjoyed the interactive displays in the Visitor Center.
We all walked the Presidential Trail which is a short, less than 1 mile trail around the base of the memorial. I was pretty impressed with the memorial from the view by the Visitor Center but seeing it from the Presidential Trail was pretty amazing. As the trail progresses you get up close and personal with each of the four Presidents. Just when you think there can’t be a better view, you turn a corner, climbs some stairs and find another view that makes you gasp.
The Presidential Trail leads to the Sculptor’s Studio. Inside the Studio you will find plaster mask of each Presidents. The plaster mask were used during the carving of the mountain as a “map” of sorts. Models and tools used to carve the monument can be found in the Studio. In the Studio we also learned and saw a replica of the Hall of Records. We were fascinated to learn about the hidden room in the mountain. Seeing the replica of it in the Sculptor’s Studio.
I should note that the Sculptor’s Studio closed in September 2017 for rehabilitation. It is expected to be closed until Summer 2019.
So, I began with a confession. I will own that by the time we left Mount Rushmore, I was beyond happy that we made the stop. It was more than just a rock carving, it was very moving and breathtaking. And a testament to a vision and a lot of hard work and dedication. I am thankful Angie was insistent we stop here because she changed my mind.
After spending seven nights in Yellowstone National Park, we bid farewell and made our way east to the Black Hills in South Dakota. We had planned to spend three nights in Hill City, South Dakota at Rafter J Bar Ranch before we headed home.
Upon recommendation from Kerri Cox, who blogs at Travels With Birdy, we chose to stay at Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City, South Dakota. As we arrived in the area two things were clear, the area is abundant with RV parks but none of them are Rafter J Bar Ranch.
At Rafter J Bar, we found space, which after a week at Fishing Bridge was a welcome feeling. Not only did we find space we found wide open space. Rafter J Bar is geographically huge. There are six different camping areas that vary from close to the amenities to remote sites far from the noise of the swimming pool. Their sites are large and spacious, some are even nestled into the pine trees. All the other RV parks we saw were crowded or had very little shade, or were right along busy highways. That night as we sat around the campfire and reflected on our trip the conversation was all about how lucky we were to be at Rafter J Bar and not the local chain campground.
We chose to stay in the Ranch Camp. Ranch Camp is the furthermost camp from the office and swimming pool area. We traded wifi and cable tv for pine trees! Our loop had easy access to a shower house and laundry facility. Being able to access laundry without a line was another welcome relief coming straight from Yellowstone where the laundry facilities are as crowded as Old Faithful is. Each loop has different services/amenities so if you are looking to book a trip here, spend some time exploring what each loop has to offer.
The kids enjoyed the heated swimming pool even if we did have to drive them to it. While they play, we were able to connect to the wifi and communicate with the outside world (social media). Of course, on our scheduled “down” afternoon a thunderstorm passed through the area. That might have resulted in the best nap I had on the entire That’s WY vacation!
Rafter J Bar also serves an unlimited pancake breakfast most mornings. We purchased tickets from the office and on our last morning we enjoyed having someone else fix breakfast.
Our options for our three days in the Black Hills was abundant: Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, Wind Cave National Park, Jewell Cave National Monument, Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Crazy Horse Monument, as well as the local antique shops, vineyards, and ice cream shops. With so many options, we knew we would leave wanting more. I was only moderately surprised when Wayne started mentally finding a way to extend our time there.
With so much to see and do in this area that it became clear this should be a destination and not a stop over. In the end, we all decided to do Mount Rushmore, at night as well as during the day. The Taylor’s and the Todd’s drove through Custer State Park on Needles Highway on our way to get to Wind Cave National Park. We chose Wind Cave over Jewell Cave because of the boxwork formations which we do not have in Missouri’s caves. The Master’s also took the Iron Mountain Drive and enjoyed the framed views of Mount Rushmore as well as the corkscrew roads. The Taylor and Masters families also made the commitment to drive an hour and half through Deadwood to get to Spearfish Canyon to go searching for a couple of “hidden gems” hikes. Not being into hiking, The Todd’s chose to spend time exploring the local community, antique shopping and wine tasting.
We found something for everyone at this location. If you are visiting The Black Hills we highly recommend Rafter J Bar. Check back soon for details on our adventures in the Black Hills.
If there is a place left in our country where the buffalo do roam and the deer and antelope play it is in the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park in Lamar Valley. If animal sightings are high on your Yellowstone bucket list then a visit to either Lamar Valley or Hayden Valley are a must.
The most controversial resident in these two areas is the wolf. Yellowstone re-introduced wolves in 1995 and currently there are eleven packs with an estimated count of 108 wolves living in Yellowstone and nearly 530 in the larger area. A casual tourist driving through these areas is more likely to find a wolf enthusiast camped out along the road than they are a wolf in the fur.
In addition to the wolves, many other animals can be seen in these two areas. Pronghorns, elk, coyotes, big horned sheep, moose, bison, bald eagles, osprey, bears, and even badgers. Of course spotting these animals can take a keen eye or you can just follow your intuition. When you see a group of people pulled over looking off in the distance, you can stop and ask what they are looking at. You will find that not only are they eager to share their find with you but they are also likely to share their spotting scope as well.
Early Bird Gets The Worm
One morning during our visit to Yellowstone, we sat our alarms and took off as the sun was rising to make the long drive from Fishing Bridge to Lamar Valley. Our children were very grumpy and nearly at melt down stage before we even got started. Thankfully, our efforts were rewarded just a few miles from our campground when we spotted a large 400 + black bear running across the road. We were able to stop, pull off the road, and watch this animal cover a ground like he was Jack Be Nimble. There is nothing like seeing a giant black bear to push away the excitement and change a little persons attitude from grumpy to eager explorer.
We made a stop by The Petrified Tree as we had heard rumors from other visitors of Moose sightings in that area. We never saw a Moose so we headed off to Lamar Valley. Shortly after we turned off the grand loop onto Highway 212, I noticed a new animal butt. Wayne thought it was a elk but I had seen my fair share of elk butt’s during this trip and this butt was definitely different. So, we pulled over and set about to explore. Again we were rewarded with a herd of Big Horn Sheep.
Our animal sightings continued; we found a badger, eagles, and even a momma elk teaching her newborn how to run. We sat and watched this new baby stumble, get up, run, stumble, get up, and run until they were no longer visible. The one animal we had hoped to see but never saw was the Moose.
Our activity goal in Lamar Valley was to hike to Trout Lake. We found the parking lot to be small and very crowded. The hike from the trail head to the lake is not a long one but has a very challenging vertical rise. We did make it to the lake and again we were rewarded with a beautiful view of mountain peaks reflecting on the lake. We were surprised to find fly fishermen fishing in Trout Lake. Wayne had researched in and thought the lake was off limits to fishing. We learned that only one small part of the lake, the outlet where the trout spawn, was off limits.
After a good hike and successful animal sightings we allowed ourselves a picnic lunch at the Yellowstone River Picnic area. A very friendly fox made his appearance during our lunch, which allowed us to have great conversations about the side effects of feeding wild animals with the kids.
People Love Sharing Their Passion; So Don’t Be Afraid to Strike Up a Conversation
The Todd’s loved Lamar Valley, in fact it was probably one of their favorite places in Yellowstone. They also had great animal sightings and were lucky enough to see the Moose near the Petrified Tree. The Todd’s learned that the visitors camped along the road are serious about their animal sighting and they are eager to share their passion with others.
Despite an early start to our day and despite the distance between our campground and Lamar Valley, we decided to return to Lamar Valley that evening in hopes of spotting a few more animals on our bucket list.
Off Highway 212, is a dirt road leading to Slough Creek. We traveled down that road and found a large group of wolf enthusiast camped out with powerful spotting scopes. We also learned they were watching a wolf den about 2 miles west of where we were standing. Waiting to see these animals is part of the game. These wolf enthusiast are prepared to wait Our little girls on the other hand find boredom really quickly. In an attempt to distract, Wayne took the girls for a hike down to Slough Creek. Funny, on their hike, they disturbed a coyote who then walked right in front of the wolf enthusiast and they barely saw it. They were looking two miles past that ole coyote.
Our binoculars were not sufficient and we were thankful our host invited us to use their spotting scopes. Having poor eye site and needing corrective lenses I had little hope that I would be able to maneuver my glasses and the scope and be successful in seeing anything. Our host were so gracious and kept letting me try. I had probably tried three or four times and never saw a thing. I felt so inadequate because everyone else who looked through that scope got so excited. Not me. I could make out from where we were standing the den, or the general area but we were so far away and things just looked liked dots. Then, our host patiently offered me one more look and I was able to see the den and the wolf pups playing outside of it. I felt such a sense of mastery when I was able to figure out how to use that scope and got to see those pups (that looked just like dogs by the way).
Persistence Pays Off So Don’t Stop Believing
As much as Allen wanted to see the wolves, I wanted to see a Moose. Rumors haunted me all day of a momma Moose and her baby being spotted along Soda Butte Creek north of Soda Butte Cone. We decided to part ways with the wolf enthusiast to go in search of a Moose. As we traveled Northeast on 212 every finger was crossed that we would be lucky. We kept hearing the momma and her baby lingered in the creek so I kept following the river. It went from wide and slow to narrow and rushing.
We finally turned a corner, the river changed again and we saw all the people lined up along the road. There was a Moose off in the distance eating. I think I slide out of the truck before Wayne even had it stopped. Before I could blink, Angie and the kids were right there. We sat and watched her for a long time and then without warning her baby emerged from the brush. A collective “awww” rose from the small crowd who had gathered. I was so excited I sat in utter amazement forgetting to take photographs!
The Icing On The Cake Is So SWEET
We left Lamar Valley to head back to camp with our head and hearts happy. What a day! We started off with a bear, then big horned sheep, then a badger, an eagle, a fox, wolves, and finally a moose. My Yellowstone Vacation was officially complete. We decided to stop by Tower Falls.
However, before we could get to Tower Falls, traffic stopped and began backing up. This is usually a really good indicator of an animal sighting. However, the only animal we could see was a bison, which are so plentiful you honestly stop stopping for them after your first day in the park. Before we could even process that this crowd was forming for a bison, we saw a momma bear and three cubs frolicking in the trees near the bison. The bison moved forward and spooked the bears and up the trees they scampered. No wonder all these people had stopped. The show was amazing. The bison eventually moved along (crossing the road right between The Todd’s and us) and the bears headed for higher ground.
We ended our perfect day by stopping by Tower Falls.
We arrived at Yellowstone National Park with a list of things to see. The list was divided into two parts: animal and geological features. Bears, Bighorn Sheep, Moose, and Wolves were on our bucket list for animal sightings. We had gotten lucky and marked bears off our list after hiking Beaver Ponds Trail. Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Morning Glory Pool, waterfalls, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone were all on geological features our list. To visit Old Faithful area, we traveled about 40 miles from Fishing Bridge RV Park.
Before I begin to break down our time in this area let me pause to give you a warning: this entire area of the park is crowded. Parking is an issue here; it often takes several passes to find a parking spot. You may even find yourself hiking in to the attraction. Or you could try and get a Meeghan to travel with; she literally jumped out of her vehicle to stand in the last available parking spot to save it for us. She stood there with her hand to forehead looking like she was talking on her cell phone while scouting for her ride and artfully avoiding the gaze of other tourist. Without this act, we would have been hiking in to see Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin.
Old Faithful Geyser
Can you really visit Yellowstone National Park and not visit the most predictable geyser? Is a visit to Yellowstone National Park without seeing Old Faithful really even a visit? We arrived at Old Faithful Visitor Center at the most perfect time, right after an eruption. Parking was plentiful and easy to come by (something we would not find on our second visit to Old Faithful).
The geyser erupts roughly every 90 minutes. Immediately after we arrived, we went to the Visitor Education Center to find out when the next eruption would be. We had a long wait, so the kids enjoyed being sworn in as Junior Rangers and hitting up the Forever Yellowstone Store.
With time to spare, we elected to walk over to Old Faithful Inn. The Inn is beautiful, and majestic, and rustic. We had desired to climb up the Crow’s Nest but we were informed that it is closed to the public. However, Meeghan had done some research and knew the outside veranda was open to the public. So we soaked up some sunshine, propped our feet up, and relaxed while waiting. We even enjoyed another chilling round of ice cream. We did not have the closet view, or the highest view, but it was honestly the most perfect way to watch Old Faithful. The crowds were a minimum. We had big comfy chairs. And did I mention we had ice cream?
Warning: Beware of the ravens!
On our last day in the park, The Taylor family returned to watch Old Faithful erupt again. We had to park in the back forty as our arrival did not coincide with an eruption. On our hike in from the parking lot, we passed a motorcycle that we noticed had been ransacked. We assumed a person with bad intentions had gone through the motorcycle’s knapsacks. All the contents of the knapsacks were thrown all over the ground; gloves, hats, googles, even a ziplock baggie full of personal identification/cards. Being a former biker and generally a good person, Wayne picked it all up and put it back in his knapsack to the best of his ability.
As we approached The Visitor Center, we ran into a biker heading to the parking lot. We asked if it was his bike and he told us it was. Wayne began explaining to him what we found, how sorry we were, and, how we tried to assist. The biker thanked us and then he explained that it was likely not a persona with bad intentions. He explained he had been inside The Visitor Center for less than 5 minutes and it was likely the darned ravens. The ravens are famous for unzipping anything with a zipper. They can get into a knapsacks. They can open backpacks, coolers, or anything that might potentially have food for them. We left shaking our heads with some renewed faith in our fellow humans as well at how adaptive the ravens have become.
Geyser Hill to Morning Glory Pool
As if to prove the point that Old Faithful is not the only geyser in the park, there are around 25 geysers within a few miles of Old Faithful. You can easily visit those geysers by paved trail, bicycle trail, or boardwalk. If you would want to go a few more miles away that number almost doubles. On our second visit to this area, we arrived before Old Faithful erupted so we had to deal with crowds and then wait the next 90 minutes or so till the next eruption. I had really wanted to hike up to Observation Point but then we would have been just sitting for two hours. So, instead we opted to hike from the Old Faithful Visitor Center to Morning Glory Pool. I wish we had realized other geysers would be going off while we were there and had paid attention to their eruption times.
As we walked the boardwalk to the Grotto Geyser it was interesting to see how different each geyser looks and behaves. Some hiss, some explode, some bubble. They vary in color. Now that we have been home for three months, generally I can’t differentiate one geyser from another. What does stand out in my mind is the conversations my family had as we made the walk. The Boy walked around quoting lines from movies. He and The Short Chic giggled all afternoon long.
If I have any regrets from our time here is that I never made it to Observation Point to see Old Faithful. I also regret that I never made it there at night. I have those two things on my bucket list for the next visit to Yellowstone.
Midway Geyser Basin
This area is actually part of the Lower Geyser Basin but it is completely separate from it, so it was given the name, Midway to signify it is half way between the Upper and Lower. Two of the largest geysers in the world are located in this area: Excelsior Geyser and Grand Prismatic Spring. Excelsior Geyser last significantly erupted in the 1880’s and has become more of a spring than a geyser. It pumps out over 4000 gallons of water per minute. Grand Prismatic Spring is 370 feet in diameter and pumps out 560 gallons of water per minute. Grand Prismatic is best known for it’s color. The water in the center is deep blue and fades to light blue. The edges are green with edges that go from yellow to orange and ending with red.
I had wanted to see Grand Prismatic Spring from an elevated state. I noticed a deck high above the area. I got all excited to find the road that lead to that deck. I was full of excitement until a Park Rangers told me that the entire area is closed. The area had been a social trail for years. Last year a hiker died in a fall and the officials have since closed the area. The deck I could see and that enticed me to it is construction on the new observation area that Yellowstone is building. I am just going to return to get that elevated look. I added it to the bucket list.
As I mentioned earlier, this area is crowded and in my opinion, crowded areas bring about a higher likelihood that you will encounter tourist making poor decisions. We struggled during our time at Midway Basin. We were pushed so others could crowd their way in. We watched people leave the boardwalk to retrieve wind blown hats. We watched people repeatedly get into the hot spring water. On the flip side, we also encountered several folks wearing Kansas City Royals shirts and we got several high fives along the boardwalk.
Lower Geyser Basin
This is an area we talked a lot about before we even came to Yellowstone and then we continued to talk about it during our entire trip. One of the books we read prior to coming was, Death in Yellowstone. I really wanted my children to enjoy the wilderness, be awe inspired by the oddities, but also have a respect that this place can be and is dangerous. So, as I encountered a relatable story, I shared it with them and they shared it with others. One of those stories was about the 1981 death of David Kirwan who jumped into Celestine Pool to try and save his dog.
The Todd and Masters Family visited this area during our visit, The Taylor’s skipped it as The Short Chic really struggled with the smells at other mud pool areas. This is the largest geyser basin in the area. Upper Geyser Basin is approximately 1 square mile where Lower Geyser Basin is 11 square miles. Fountain Paint Pots is a commonly visited area in this area.
Scenic Drives
The entire Grand Loop is a scenic drive but sometimes you just want to get off the main drive and find a path that makes you feel less of a tourist and more of a traveler. The Todd’s love chasing down these paths! They took two scenic drives in the geyser area: Firehole Canyon Drive to Firehole Falls and Firehole Lake Drive.
Firehole Canyon Drive is a one way 2 mile drive that passes Firehole Lake, Firehole Falls and ends at a swimming area. The swimming area was closed during our visit so we have added swimming to our bucket list activities for our next visit. Firehole Falls is a 40 foot waterfall formed around lava rock.
Anglers can fish in Firehole River and during our visit we saw numerous people fishing in this area. I am still a little surprised Wayne never stopped here to fish but I know he eyeballed it really closely.
Firehole Lake Drive off the Grand Loop is a 3 mile one way road. You will find several additional geysers and hot springs that are accessible from this drive including Firehole Lake and Great Fountain Geyser. The Masters family spent their last night in Yellowstone at Lower Basin in search of a breathtaking sunset. I wish they had taken this drive instead. I think they would have liked it better.
That pretty much sums up our visit to the Upper, Middle, and Lower Geyser Basin area at Yellowstone National Park. The crowds are challenging, tourist make poor/uninformed decisions, and the sites range from odd to breathtaking. We also know that after a long day of hiking, it is nice to take a stroll on a boardwalk or prop your feet up to enjoy the small moments that make up this life. Ice cream is optional.
In planning for our time in Yellowstone we knew we wanted to do a lot of hiking. But, how do you plan for a hike? Yellowstone has over 900 miles of hiking trails and that felt a little overwhelming. What things do you take into consideration when deciding what hike to take: wildlife? difficulty? distance? These were all things we took into consideration while planning out our hikes while in Yellowstone. We had researched areas of interest prior to our trip as well as used Chimani’s Yellowstone National Park app. In the hiking section of this app it provides trail information – the scenery, the trail’s distance, approximate time the trail will take and the difficulty.
My husband has been an avid trapper his entire adulthood. One animal he has trapped is the beaver. The Chimani app indicated that Beaver Ponds Trail was a great place to see a number of beaver ponds, sharpened and chewed logs, and maybe even a beaver if our timing was right. The hike was approximately 4.5 miles and should take only 2 hours. The app also indicated it was a moderate hike but we felt like the distance and time frame was something the kids could handle.
Beaver Pond trail is located in the Mammoth Area. We asked a Ranger where this was located and after giving us directions they also mentioned that a mama grizzly and her 2 cubs have been spotted in this trail. The Ranger immediately asked if we had Bear Spray and if we were traveling in a group. As I was trying to process this new information and the actual odds we would see a bear, my very caution husband immediately became hesitant. He knew that seeing a bear up close would cause myself and our daughter to freak out. His initial reaction was that we would find another trail to hike.
As much as I love this cautious side of him I was disappointed that he was saying no. I really wanted to do this hike with the hopes of seeing beaver and dams. I was also a bit disappointed in not seeing a bear. So Pam and I went investigating for more information on the safety of traveling this hike where bears had been spotted. We spoke with another ranger and asked additional questions – she said hiking on trails with bears is common. She strongly encouraged taking Bear Spray, traveling in a group and making noise. We could accommodate all of these and with the excitement of seeing a potential bear and of course the beaver on this hike we set off. The Ranger also gave us one last piece of advice: to do the hike in reverse. She felt we would be closer to the beaver ponds if we started where most people ended.
It did not take long for us to start seeing wildlife; within minutes of starting this trail we saw a female elk on the hill. Being so close was awesome and the elk did not even seem to be phased by our presence. This felt like a positive sign that we would see things on this hike. This trail traveled up hill with several switchbacks throughout the timber.
I have never been on a hike like this one. It was steep and we were huffing and puffing quickly. The kids were troopers! The amount of complaining at this point in the hike was minimal. It was the afternoon and temperature was on the warmer side but there was plenty of shade to take breaks under. Everyone had water and we took our time. During the hike we talked, laughed, sang songs and played games. Some may say I have a “loud” personality and I used it to the fullest during this hike. I was doing what I could to keep those bears at a distance! Pam kept joking that we had no worries of sneaking up on anything because we have “a Meeghan” to make all the noise needed to for our hikes. I do wonder, was she joking?
We continued through timber still not seeing any ponds or signs of beavers. We kept thinking it has to be coming up soon, right? This actually wasn’t the case at all. We did find ourselves walking through fields of sage brush, snow capped mountains in the distance, and smaller foothills all around. The thought of encountering bears was ever present in our minds. We had encountered a family of four traveling opposite direction of us. They informed us they had indeed seen the momma grizzly and her two cubs not long before. It seemed as if the odds of us encountering bears on our quest to see beavers was growing.
About 3.5 miles in, we came upon two rangers on horseback. They had been out removing downed trees from the trail and were happy to chat with us. By this time, we had a few questions: had they seen the bears, where were the beaver ponds, and could they hear us coming. The Park Ranger assured us that we were on course for the Beaver Ponds and he also told us the bears, a Mamma Grizzly and two cubs, one black and one cinnamon, were off the trail about 100 yards ahead of us. He gave us some pointers on how to navigate the trail and when to expect seeing the bears. Not wanting to surprise the bears on the trail, As precaution, I once again went over the bear safety check list with the rangers, bear spray, check, hiking in a group check, and make noise as to no surprise the bears. They replied, Check!! You’ll ain’t sneaking up on ANYTHING! They laughed and said they could hear us coming a mile away. We left the Rangers as they headed back to Fort Yellowstone. They did not seem concerned about us traveling on this hike in any way and that made us feel even more confident about our ever increasing odds of encountering a the mamma grizzly and her two cubs.
The Rangers had warned us about a boggy area in the trail and told us to veer left at the fork in the trial. They had last spotted the bears in a field just past the bog to the south of the trail about 100 yards or so in a field. Wayne and Jeremy took point as we continued down the trail. The terrain changed from grassy and rocky into more of a forested area, As we came upon the wet boggy area we spotted the fork in the trail. As we approached, we saw the black colored cub about 30 yards in front of us, in the middle of the left fork, right where the ranger had told us to go. Immediately, we seemed to have forgotten the bear safety rules and instead of making noise Jeremy, the cautious one, held his hand up like he does when hunting and pointed ahead. As the trail leaders hushed the pack of hikers, Wayne signaled for the big guns aka Pam and her Cannon Rebel to come the front of the column, Ironically, Pam’s SD card was full and she barely got any photos of the bears!
That’s when we spotted the cinnamon colored cub rambling up to his sibling. That was about the time we realized Mamma Grizzly was no where to be seen, Panic was started to set in as everyone grabbed for their bear spray, Mamma Grizzly popped into view out of the timber just beyond her cubs.
Mamma bear crossed the trail in front of us and her 2 cubs followed. It seemed like they were oblivious to us being there. Mamma bear traveled up the hill to the left of us and found a nice shady spot to lay down. It appeared she fell asleep within minutes of sitting down. The bear cubs stayed down in front of us about 50 feet away from mom and continued to play with one another and climbing trees. We all could have stood there and watched them for a long time but we moved on to make sure we didn’t make the bears feel pressured. It was so exciting!
Spotting the bear boosted everyone’s morale. We realized seeing animals in the wild could be a rewarding experience as long as we respected the animal and their space. We got a shot of adrenaline that we desperately needed to continue on. The Rangers had indicated we were getting close to the ponds so we pushed on hopeful to see beaver.
We finally came upon the first of a series of ponds. The first one was pretty boggy. We had to maneuver around water and mud. Unfortunately as we moved through all three ponds, we never saw a beaver. In fact, we never saw any signs of beavers. We got excited at one point at a log jam but realized it was caused from rushing water and not beaver. We had found the ponds but no beaver and no signs of any beaver. The beavers had moved through there years ago. All that was was three empty ponds.
Not seeing ANY signs of beaver was disappointing but the other wildlife we saw up close on this hike was amazing something that made this hike well worth it. The changes in terrain were also quite amazing but as the hike continued we also realized we were still very far from the end. We also noticed changes to the weather. Clouds moved in, the skies began to darken, and the temperature dropped. We really started booking it. This is the point where the complaining really began. Motivation became the ice cream treat we would have at the end. We ended up hiking between 6-7 miles total. The actual Beaver Pond trail head didn’t start until until about 2 miles in which is why this made the hike so long.
So a couple things to note while hiking in Yellowstone-
Make sure you actually know the specific distance of the trail and where it begins and ends. We hiked 2-3 miles before we even reached the trail head;
When hiking in bear country make sure you hike in a group, have bear spray, and have a “Meeghan” to make noise while you hike;
there is no shame in bribing your children through a hike. Besides once they had ice cream in hand they forgot all about the hike;
And lastly, there are NO beaver on Beaver Pond Trail
Way up in the north west corner of Yellowstone National Park is the Mammoth Hot Springs area. Due to road construction on the western part of the grand loop during our visit, it took us nearly two hours to travel up to Mammoth from Fishing Bridge RV Park. Knowing the time commitment it would take to get up there and back, we decided to make an entire day trip of our visit to this area.
Mammoth is one of those areas in Yellowstone full of geological oddities. The air has a distinctive aroma of sulfur aka rotten eggs. I remember when I was a young kid and experienced this for the first time. My brother and I sat in the back of our car gagging together. Now, our children have experienced this aroma. The Short Chic has such a powerful gag reflex and spent the majority of our time around the Upper and Lower Mammoth Terraces gagging or at least tying not to gag.
Here is a summary of our day in the Mammoth Hot Springs Area.
Roaring Mountain
I don’t think this is an actual mountain but it is a cool thermal feature. Roaring Mountain seemed about half way from Fishing Bridge to Mammoth and we thought it would be a great place to stretch our legs and use the restroom. We never found the restroom but we did enjoy seeing the entire hill smoke from the fumaroles, The area looked like a World War II battle field: the entire hill covered in smoke rising from craters in the ground, charred dead trees, and no live vegetation to be seen.
Upper and Lower Mammoth Terraces
I heard once that the travertine terraces at Mammoth were the inspiration for Superman’s home planet in the 1978 Superman movie with Christopher Reeve. I have no idea if that is true as I could find no reference to it on the intranet. But, even if it is urban legend and has no truth, I can’t help but think how this part of Yellowstone feels like it belongs to another planet.
The landscape here is full of chalky white terraces tinged with canary yellow, green, orange, pink, or even the color of rust. As you walk the boardwalks around the terraces you will encounter what many have described as the inside of a cave turned out. Hot water seeps to the surface releasing calcium carbonate that forms these terraces that seem to melt into each other. The boardwalks near the terraces are rather crowded at all times with tourist but they are occasionally visited by some of the four-legged Yellowstone residents.
Mammoth Upper Terrace Drive
There literally is something for everyone in Yellowstone National Park. If you want to hike, they have easy as well as challenging hikes. If you want to see thermal features you can. If you want to see mountains or valleys they are there. If you are a do-er; there is plenty to do. But if you are a see’er; there is plenty to be seen. There are scenic drives all over the park. Some are lengthy and some are short. Mammoth Upper Terrace Drive is a two mile loop that goes behind the upper terraces.
Fort Yellowstone
For over three decades the US Military protected and served Yellowstone National Park. During that time, Fort Yellowstone was built. Numerous buildings remained although they have been re-purposed and no longer serve the US Military. Ironically, the buildings, cream to light yellow painted wood, or brick, some with red roofs sitting on perfectly manicured lawns bring to mind a summer resort. Which is pretty ironic because that is what it has morphed into. It is not uncommon to see bison or elk strolling along or napping in the fresh grass in Fort Yellowstone. During our visit an elk cow had even hid her newborn calf under a wooden porch of one of the remaining houses. She lingered nearby on high alert to run off any tourist that got too close to her baby.
Animal sightings in Yellowstone are mostly lucky timing; you have to be in the right place at the right time and be observant enough to catch it. As we prepared to go hiking north of Mammoth, we were “lucky” enough to watch a scene straight out of “When Animals Attack”. In between two buildings was a lawn full of Uinta Ground Squirrels making all kinds of noises. Besides the noise they were scampering from one place to the next. It took us a moment to figure out that a Magpie bird had swooped down and was attacking a ground squirrel. The other Uinta’s were doing their best to distract the Magpie. We stood watching the battle for survival between the Uinta Ground Squirrels and the Magpie. This day, the Magpie won. I know this survival battle was small but large or small they happen all the time in the wild, We felt amazed to have witnessed it. We felt bewildered that it all happened in the middle of Fort Yellowstone as hundreds of tourist walked determined to catch a site by without recognizing what has happening right there on a well manicured lawn.
We visited the Fort Yellowstone Post Office to mail our post cards home. We walked past the Hotel Dining Hall. We visited the Park Ranger Station and even crashed a Ranger led private outdoor school lesson.
Roosevelt Arch/Northern Entrance
The Roosevelt Arch is about as iconic as other well known sites in Yellowstone (Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Old Faithful). The Arch stands proudly at the original entrance to the park, which is currently known as the North Entrance. This entrance is a short drive north of Mammoth following the Gardiner River and I should note is the only entrance open year round. Visitors who start here or those like us who make their way here will also want to visit the small town of Gardiner, Montana. We spent time in the Forever Yellowstone store, relaxing in the wooden rocking chairs outside the store. In fact, The Boy got so relaxed he did not feel his wallet fall out of his pocket. We ended up making 2 trips to Gardiner just so we could rescue the wallet.
On our way back into the park, the Masters family and the Taylor family got separated by the check in lines. The Taylor’s took the opportunity to pull over and watch a Pronghorn. The Pronghorn had enough paparazzi just about the time the Masters caught up. We started screaming at them to watch out for the Pronghorn, who was barreling right toward their truck. Thankfully, Jeremy was able to avoid hitting the animal but I will say, it was close enough that we walked away with a memory and wondering how many animals die each year by being hit by an automobile.
Gardiner River
We knew we would be out exploring the park every day and picnic lunches were going to be our lifeline to maintaining energy. Our only challenge was finding a spot worthy of our daily picnic. On our way back to Mammoth from Gardiner we found a pullover next to the Gardiner River. It was loud from the rushing water but it was peaceful and we had a lunch view that we just don’t get at home.
Hiking Back Country
We were in Mammoth on our second day in the park and we had the opportunity to take our second hike. We were warned when we came back through the entrance from Gardiner to Mammoth that there was bear activity on the trail we had chosen to take (Beaver Ponds Trail) but we did not allow that to deter us. There are two truths I have come to believe about hiking in Yellowstone. The first truth is wild animals live here and it is a possibility that you can encounter them. I guess you have two options, be prepared for that encounter or be surprised by it. We chose the first option and really enjoyed our experience.
The second truth I have come to believe is that once you get on that trail and you leave behind the boardwalk, you honestly leave behind crowds. As we hiked away from Mammoth Hot Springs it felt like we were alone but in reality we were less than five miles from the crowds. Being alone (or in a small group) made me feel small. In every direction was this huge vast wilderness and I just stood in awe of it.
Ice Cream
It is not by chance that I have put ice cream on this list in the last spot. Let’s just say simply that bribing children with ice cream is a powerful motivator. Even when you are in the middle of a multi-mile challenging hike. So, on our second day in Yellowstone National Park, we began our vacation love affair with ice cream. We had heard about the Huckleberry Ice Cream in the park and really wanted to give it a try. After our hike we stumbled into the ice cream shop in Fort Yellowstone and ordered up a round of ice cream for all. I ordered the Huckleberry flavored and was a little disappointed to find out that Huckleberries are actually very expensive and the ice cream was really more blueberry with a little Huckleberry flavoring.
Packing a lot into a vacation day might be what we do the best. We hit it hard on our second day in Yellowstone and it was a long day. To some that may not be a good thing but I think we created a balance between seeing/doing, riding/hiking, and odd/beautiful. I love the Mammoth area. It brings back childhood memories for me and I treasure those. My first visit to Yellowstone with my family was when I was a young teenager. We stayed in Mammoth Campground in the very last camping spot left in the park. We were so ill prepared! That trip and that camping experience has remained with me all these years. I can only hope that this trip remains with my own children all their years.
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park is breathtaking. It leaves me speechless, wonderstruck, and inspired every time I visit. The Yellowstone River run through the canyon with such power; you can hear the thunder of the upper and lower falls even before you see them.
In my opinion, the name is a little wonky, The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park. It brings to mind the actual Grand Canyon in Arizona and to be honest, that is probably exactly what the person or people who named it want you to think about. A large canyon with steep walls, jagged rocks, and a river running through the bottom that continues to shape and carve the canyon. But this isn’t the Grand Canyon. It is much much smaller. This is the Grand Canyon in Yellowstone National Park and it is one of the amazing sites to be seen in the park. Just be sure when you all get back home from visiting it and you start talking about it that you name it can correctly or your friends and family will be heading out to the wrong place.
We spent our first sunset in Yellowstone at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Over the course of our week in Yellowstone, each of us individually or as a group would return to this area several additional times.
The Grand Canyon area is comprised of the north rim and south rim. Which should all be familiar to those familiar with the actual Grand Canyon. We found the entire area under construction during our visit but we were still able to access the hiking trails; parking was just a little more difficult.
We spent time at the North Rim and the South Rim. Here is a glimpse at our time in the Canyon.
The North Rim:
Grand View
Who doesn’t want to see that grand big picture view? This is a great place to see the whole canyon and is fully accessible. You can see the river rushing toward the falls and you can hear the water falling over Lower Falls.
Lookout and Red Rocks Points Trails
This was our first hike in Yellowstone. It was also our first lesson on how to lose the crowd. It is not a very long hike but it is steep (drops 500 feet in less than 1/2 mile) and that is all it takes to leave the majority of the tourist standing at the rim while the adventurous are rewarded with beautiful sites, sounds, and breathing space. The keen tourist might also be able to spy osprey nest
The path down Red Rocks Point Trail is either hard packed dirt or wooden boardwalks. I would suggest good solid hiking shoes but this is not a serious back country hike. The lighting in the canyon has such an effect on the canyon. In bright light, the ground looks washed out and a pale brown. But as the sun dips, you start to see even more color and the ground turns to a reddish brown. The trail gets its name from the hot springs which are wet, rust colored rocks.
Brink of Lower Falls Trail
The Todd family was able to visit the brink of both the Lower and Upper Falls. The Brink of the Lower Falls trail took them to the spot where the water plunges 308 feet over the Lower Falls. Depending on the time of the year, anywhere between 5,000 and 6,000 gallons of water falls here per second. Standing near the water as it falls was pretty amazing. The Todd’s were able to see the staircase of Uncle Tom’s Trail from the brink.
Brink of the Upper Falls
This trail was much shorter than the Brink to the Lower Falls but still offers breathtaking views of the waterfall. A shorter trail also means a lot more tourist to maneuver as you see the attraction.
Canyon Visitor Center
We stopped into the Canyon Visitor Center to stamp our passports and to pick up the Junior Ranger booklets. Junior Ranger booklets in Yellowstone cost $3.00 per child. We wanted to give our kids as long as possible to work on the books so we picked them up our first night.
The South Rim
The day we decided to stop back by the Canyon for the second time to do Uncle Tom’s Trail, we knew we were dealing with construction and would have to hike. We parked and began walking the road. We walked for an entire hour before we realized we were looking for the trail on the North Rim and we needed to be on the South RIm! We actually thought about giving up but we all got a second wind on the drive over from the North to the South Rim.
Uncle Tom’s Trail
This trail was at the top of my Yellowstone bucket list. To prepare for this hike Wayne and I each lost 30 pounds before this vacation. I was going to Yellowstone to do this hike. Imagine my surprise when we pulled in on that first night and learned the entire area was under construction with ugly orange “CLOSED” signs everywhere. My heart sank. Thankfully the park rangers at the Canyon Visitor Center told us the trail wasn’t closed; just the parking lot and area around it. Well that was a relief! But we still had to figure out how to get to the trail.
We decided to park along the road outside the closed parking lot. We took off on foot looking for a way around the “CLOSED” signs and fences. We may or may not have passed through or under or around several fences designed to keep us out of the area. We may or may not have scaled downed trees. We may or may not have walked around forever looking for the trail head. Once we found the trail head, we found a few die hard tourist who had hiked down from Artist Point to do the Uncle Tom’s Trail.
“Uncle” Tom Richardson used to take visitors down into the Canyon using rope ladders. Today visitors descend 3/4 of the way down the Canyon on metal stairs bolted into the sides of the Canyon. Each of us got down and up the trail on our own accord. The little’s in our group bounced down (and back up) without a hesitation. Meeghan had a near panic attack on the way down. I knew I would struggle to get back up so I did not linger too long at the bottom and gave myself plenty of time to get back up.
When I finally made it up, I told Wayne I felt like my water bladder was leaking. He wanted to know why I thought that and I told him it was because my back was soaked. As he laughed he informed me that it was from sweat. Who says you can’t go on vacation and work out?
Roam With Friends 